5.3. WHY DO WE NEED TWO HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT?

The term ‘Parliament’ refers to the national legislature. The legislature of the States is described as State legislature. The Parliament in India has two houses. When there are two houses of the legislature, it is called a bicameral legislature. The two Houses of the Indian Parliament are the Council of States or the Rajya Sabha and the House of the People or the Lok Sabha. The Constitution has given the States the option of establishing either a unicameral or bicameral legislature. At present only six States have a bicameral legislature.

India's Parliament consists of two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). This system is known as bicameralism, which means 'two chambers.' While some states have a single legislative chamber (unicameral), others, like six in India, have chosen a bicameral system. This structure aims to enhance representation and decision-making.

Think of the bicameral legislature like a two-step process for baking a cake. Just as you need to mix the ingredients and then bake them, a law must be introduced in one house and then passed in the other to become effective, ensuring thorough consideration twice.

Countries with large size and much diversity usually prefer to have two houses of the national legislature to give representation to all sections in the society and to give representation to all geographical regions or parts of the country.

Bicameral legislatures are often favored in large and diverse countries like India because they allow for different regions and social sectors to be represented. This means that voice in legislation can come from various local contexts and interests, helping ensure that laws reflect the needs of the entire population, not just the majority.

Imagine a school with students from various backgrounds – some from urban areas, others from rural settings, and each having different interests. To decide on a new school policy that affects everyone, having representatives from both types of backgrounds would be essential. Similarly, a bicameral legislature brings together diverse interests of a nation's population.

A bicameral legislature has one more advantage. A bicameral legislature makes it possible to have every decision reconsidered. Every decision taken by one house goes to the other house for its decision. This means that every bill and policy would be discussed twice. This ensures a double check on every matter. Even if one house takes a decision in haste, that decision will come for discussion in the other house and reconsideration will be possible.

One of the main advantages of a bicameral system is that it allows for legislative decisions to be reviewed by both houses. If one house approves a bill quickly, the other house reviews it, which helps catch any oversights and allows for in-depth discussion. This creates a more thorough legislative process and helps ensure that laws are well thought out.

Think of this like a school project that needs to be approved by two teachers before it can be presented. The first teacher might provide initial approval, but the second teacher can spot flaws or suggest improvements. This two-step approval ensures a better final result, just as it is in the legislative process of the bicameral system.

Each of the two Houses of Parliament has different bases of representation. The Rajya Sabha represents the States of India. It is an indirectly elected body. Residents of the State elect members to State Legislative Assembly. The elected members of State Legislative Assembly in turn elect the members of the Rajya Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha functions as the representative of states in the Indian Parliament, and its members are indirectly elected. This means that individuals in each state vote for their representatives in the State Legislative Assembly, and then those assembly members elect representatives to the Rajya Sabha. This structure allows for a focus on state interests at the national level.

Think of this process like a team sport, where players (State Legislative Assembly members) select a captain (Rajya Sabha member) to represent them in a larger game (the national Parliament). This ensures that the team has a voice in decisions that affect everyone, promoting cooperation between state and national levels.

We can imagine two different principles of representation in the second chamber. One way is to give equal representation to all the parts of the country irrespective of their size or population. We may call this as symmetrical representation. On the other hand, parts of the country may be given representation according to their population.

There are two main approaches to how members can be seated in a legislative body like the Rajya Sabha. One approach is to treat all areas equally (symmetrical representation), giving every state the same number of representatives, regardless of their population size. The other approach allocates representatives based on population, so larger states have more representatives. Both have their pros and cons in reflecting the country’s diversity.

Imagine a city council where each neighborhood gets one vote, regardless of its size, compared to a system where votes are proportional to the number of residents in each neighborhood. The first system ensures all voices are equal but may ignore larger populations' needs, while the second could overwhelm smaller neighborhoods’ voices in decision-making.

Members of the Rajya Sabha are elected for a term of six years. They can get re-elected. All members of Rajya Sabha do not complete their terms at the same time. Every two years, one third members of the Rajya Sabha complete their term and elections are held for those one third seats only. Thus, the Rajya Sabha is never fully dissolved.

Rajya Sabha members serve for six years and can be re-elected. To maintain continuity, their terms are staggered, with one-third of the members finishing their term every two years. This structure means that even when the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Rajya Sabha can continue to function and conduct urgent legislative business.

Consider this structure like a relay race, where only a third of the runners leave the track every two years. The teams keep running, even if some members change, so the event continues smoothly without interruption, just as the Rajya Sabha remains active while the Lok Sabha may be dissolved.

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